The Land: Predators

by Aleron Kong

  “Time passed, and the event was mostly forgotten. Death was a common occurrence in the Labyrinth, after all. Also, the court quickly learned not to discuss the undine, at least not within earshot of the king or his Adventurers. One beheading was all that was required to teach that particular lesson.

  “One year later, however, as the King was preparing to enter the Dungeon, a hooded figure blocked his path. His fellow Adventurers moved to attack, but the figure threw back her hood. When the King saw that it was the undine, he stayed the attack. One of my father’s close friends said that he saw the pain of lost love on the King’s face, though he was never so foolish as to broach the topic directly.

  “In the undine’s arms was a small bundle. She called out to the King using the same words she’d used as a farewell a year before, ‘Honor your Vow.’

  “Now, the King may have forbidden open talk of the events at the Shambhala due to embarrassment, but he was not so foolish as to pretend it had not happened. He had spoken to his greatest advisors about what he could remember and they, in turn, had searched the palace records for any hint of something similar occurring in the past. The Scholars he had employed had argued as their Profession is wont to do, but one had a theory that the Undine was actually an Avatar of the Dungeon. As soon as the King had heard that, he’d known in his heart it was the truth.”

  The Spy’s voice became lecture-y again, “A Vow is never to be taken lightly, much less the Vow of a King. Breaking such a promise could have repercussions not just for him, but for the entire kingdom. A Vow to the manifestation of a Place of Power, however, was another thing entirely. When it was factored in that his Dungeon was linked to the Vow as well… the Scholars had no disagreement on this particular point. The King could not even consider breaking such an oath. This was the reason the King gave for stopping his Adventurers from killing the undine, though again, his friend tells a different story.

  “I was told that the undine smiled as she walked closer and then pronounced, ‘I see you have learned some small amount of wisdom since our time together.’ Then she handed him the bundle and made him repeat that he would honor the Vow. And,” Ran’dolphinius said, placing one hand on his chest, “he did.”

  “You were the baby,” Richter said, nodding as he digested the story. Only silence surrounded them. He wasn’t exactly sure how he felt about the tale, but he was happy he was finally getting to the truth. As he thought about the story, a question occurred to him, “If it was the current King’s grandfather that sired you, how old are you?”

  “I will celebrate my one hundred and ninth year come Sanren, my lord. Now, if I may, I have a question for you.”

  The two men made eye contact and Ran’dolphinius slowly stood. Richter matched him, at long last letting go of the dagger still under his pillow. It wasn’t that he doubted the deadliness of the Spy, but he just didn’t believe the man would attack him. Whatever else Randy was, he was a man of honor.

  As they stood to their full heights, Richter received another small surprise. The chamberlain had always been a bit taller than him, but with the glamour fallen away, the chaos seed now overtopped him by at least four inches. Somehow, that didn’t take away from the power or strength that the half-undine exuded though.

  Slowly, so that he didn’t startle Richter, the chamberlain took his pen and drew the point across the surface of his palm. Though his skin had a blue undertone, the blood welling was as dark red as any human’s. The metal nib sliced through the flesh as easily as a scalpel and Richter realized anew just how precarious his position would be if the Spy chose to attack him. Ran’dolphinius turned his hand to the side, and the blood began to fall in a slow pat, pat, pat onto the stone of the floor.

  “Twice before I have made a Blood Oath,” Ran’dolphinius pronounced. “Once, to my father, I swore to never to sit upon the throne of Yves and to forever serve his bloodline. I did so faithfully until the new King cast me from his service when he learned of my true lineage. With my father’s flesh now turned to dust, I hold that Oath fulfilled. My second Oath I cannot share with you, even if it means you cast me from your side. I would never have shared so much with you if I did not truly trust you, my lord. Even now, I cannot share that one truth. And yet despite the fact that you may kill or exile me, my third Oath is this.”

  Ran’dolphinius knelt down and lay the palm of his bleeding hand flat on the stone, “I, Ran’dolphinius, swear by my blood to the four Powers embodied in this stone and to the Universe itself that all I have said this night is true. I further swear that all I will say for the rest of this night will be true.” He looked up and made eye contact with Richter, “I believe in you. You have come far in the months that I have known you. Your decisions have both saved and cost lives, and each has weighed upon you. I have seen you evolve into a true ruler, and know that you base your leadership not just upon the might of your blade or magic, but rather your ideals. Acceptance for all, increasing the power and level of those around you, and protecting those too weak to protect themselves…”

  A slight sheen of moisture began to cover Ran’dolphinius’ eyes as he continued to stare at the chaos seed. His voice took on the slight echo of Power that occurred when the Universe recognized and held you to the words you would speak, “I believe in you, my lord. Know that as I make this Oath. By the power of my true name, by the lineage of my father King Phillipe III and my mother the Avatar Undine, I formally swear allegiance and loyalty to you, my Lord Richter. From now, unto my very death, I will protect you and your interests, to the best of my ability and without deceit. Will you have me?”

  The air stilled and a feeling of great weight settled upon Richter. The eye of the Universe looked down upon him and the strings of fate drew taut as they awaited his decision. A pattern of importance would be woven into the skein of history tonight, and the tapestry would change based on his response.

  Richter felt the import and yet still took his time to think. The Spy had been right, he had learned the importance of words in The Land, and he would not rush judgement in such an important moment. On the one hand, Ran’dolphinius had deceived him. The man wasn’t even human, and Undines weren’t even a race he was familiar with. A half-elf, or even a half-orc, wouldn’t be a person he would dismiss out of hand. But what if Randolphus - Ran’dolphinius, Richter corrected himself again - thought in an alien way because he was half-elemental? Did that make him half-monster?

  Perhaps even more troubling was the second Oath that the chamberlain couldn’t tell him about. It was more than just a small cause for concern. What if that Oath was something horrible like killing all humans? What if it was to infiltrate other villages and kingdoms, being loyal until he could sell them out to Yves? The man was a damn Spy, after all. Not trusting him was kind of in the name.

  It was insane to Richter to even think about the fact that the word “Spy” wasn’t just a job description. Ran’dolphinius wasn’t just someone who relayed information. The fucking Universe had assigned him that Specialty! What did that say about him as a person? What did that say about the man’s soul?

  Part of Richter itched to attack, if only because it was an easy and definitive option. His nerves were still raw from a day of battle. The short sleep had taken the edge off, but even with his Belt of Sustenance, he needed more rest. Yes, a part of Richter just wanted to take a potentially troubling piece off the chessboard. That made him think about how he really should invent chess in The Land. It wasn’t just a relaxing game, it was a great way to…

  The chaos seed shook his head. He was more tired than he thought if his mind could wander like that. Then his eyes narrowed. Or had he just gone off on a tangent because of some weird Spy Talent that the chamberlain had purchased? Was he being manipulated? Was his thinking about being manipulated a manipulation itself, aimed at keeping him off balance? Richter stared hard at Ran’dolphinius, then released his breath in a huff. He could go down that rabbit hole forever and keep falling. No, he had to focus on what he knew. />
  What he knew was that Ran’dolphinius had in all likelihood saved lives in the village with his contributions. The chamberlain had made sure that hundreds of people had been fed, clothed and sheltered for months. He had been a blessing to the Mist Village.

  There was also the point that Richter wouldn’t even be facing this choice if Ran’dolphinius hadn’t decided to be honest with him. The man had shown him trust. It might just be the Universe exerting its hidden rules, forcing the Spy to come clean since their official relationship had improved from Admiring to Trusting. Even if that was true though, it didn’t mean that Randy’s regret for deceiving him wasn’t real. On the contrary, it might just ensure that the man was telling the truth.

  Of course, the most important thing was the Blood Oath. Richter had made one himself, and the consequences for failure were severe. His Oath hadn’t even involved calling on the Universe or a Place of Power. Words had power. With what Ran’dolphinius had just promised, Richter couldn’t even imagine what the consequences of breaking such an Oath would be…

  He came to a decision.

  “Stand,” Richter commanded.

  Ran’dolphinius did as he was told. Standing now, the blood from his hand continued to fall to the floor, pat, pat, pat.

  “Swear that your Oath will last until I release you from it,” Richter told him. “Swear that even if I die and never return, you will hold to your pledge.”

  “I do so swear,” the chamberlain intoned.

  “Swear that you will give me honest counsel and that you will support me to the fullest of your abilities, skills, Talents, and capabilities.”

  Ran’dolphinius did not hesitate, “I do so swear.”

  The already oppressive weight in the room increased. Richter spoke a final time, “Swear that you will hold your Oath to me with the same respect and importance as any other Oath, past or present. Swear that you will not take any action to compromise me, my village, or my interests even if it conflicts with other Oaths before you speak to me and tell me why.”

  Ran’dolphinius’ eyes widened, and for the first time, Richter saw him look uncomfortable. This was the main point. The chaos seed wouldn’t force a man he trusted and respected to betray his values or conscience. Richter also couldn’t let such considerations compromise his own goals and needs though. He was basically asking Ran’dolphinius to confront him before the man did something Richter might object to. The chamberlain would have to look him in the eye and admit he was about to betray him. It was entirely possible that only one of them would walk away from that conversation.

  The blood continued to fall, pat, pit, pat.

  The chamberlain’s discomfort lasted but a moment before he answered, slowly and deliberately, “I do so swear.”

  Richter spoke a word of Power and a golden radiance surrounded his hand. He reached out and clasped Ran’dolphinius’ bloody palm, healing the wound. The chaos seed maintained his grip and rested his other hand upon his chamberlain’s shoulder. “I accept your Oath of Blood and fealty, and swear to honor your pledge with the same gravity in which it was given.”

  The still moment passed and the Universe moved its gaze beyond the two men. Ran’dolphinius’ face took on a look of pleased relief, and Richter’s own face broke into an involuntary grin. Long ago he had decided that when he was faced with an impossible choice, when the futures of all paths were equally shadowed, when the countless possibilities of either choice either balanced out or were hopelessly confusing, that he would make a decision based on what he hoped to be true, rather than by what he feared to be true. It was possible that this could be a mistake, but it was his choice, and that was what mattered.

  Besides, The Land itself seemed to give its approval of his decision.

  Ran’dolphinius the Half-Undine has become your Companion. Companions will stay with you only as long as your goals align.

  The glow faded from Richter’s hand and the two men stood there, blood laying between them, united in purpose.

  CHAPTER 12 – Day 141 – Kuborn 31, 0 AoC

  With Randy a Companion, Richter now had access to his full status page. What he saw raised even more questions.

  Name: Ran’dolphinius

  Profession: Rogue

  Level: 47, 60%

  Race: Half-Human/Half-Undine

  Specialty: Spy

  Focus: Counterintelligence

  Languages: Common, Elvish, Dwarvish, Gnomish, Spritespeak, Goblin, Trollish, Orcish, …

  Reputation: Lvl 3 “You seem like someone worthy of my attention.”

  Age: 109

  Alignment: Chaotic (1) Evil (1)

  STATS

  Health: 581

  Mana: 412

  Stamina: 353

  ATTRIBUTES

  Strength: 29

  Agility: 54

  Dexterity: 52

  Constitution: 43

  Endurance: 32

  Intelligence: 36

  Wisdom: 57

  Charisma: 59

  Luck: 57

  RESISTANCE

  SPELL POWER

  WEAKNESS

  Water: +71%

  Water: +36%

  Fire: 34%

  SKILLS

  ...

  ABILITIES

  Pleasing Visage: Those that look upon you will find you trustworthy and attractive

  Yvesian Royal: A member of the Royal Family of Yves

  Undine’s Deception: Can disguise your intrinsic self and become another persona. New persona must have abilities and skills weaker than your true self. You will only have access to the capabilities of this new persona.

  QUALITIES

  Ruthless II: Up to +10% chance of critical hit when using Small Blades. Up to +50% Critical Damage. Aura of Menace: Enemies may Fear you. +1 Evil Alignment

  Loyal III: Your deeds have proven you to be trustworthy. People are 75% more likely to believe you. +750% to negative consequences of breaking a Vow, Oath or other binding geas

  Obsessed IV: Your dogged obsession with an Oath has led to many sacrifices, but has also strengthened your will. +40% to Willpower and resistance to mental or emotional control

  MARKS

  Adventurer

  Obscured Vision

  Dark Deeds

  Richter wasn’t even sure where to start. The status page was entirely too massive at first, mostly thanks to the listing of the man’s skills. Apparently, a century was enough time to amass an insane amount of skills. Many of them were still novice rank, but it was still an insane amount. A mental tweak was all it took to minimize them and Richter promised himself he’d go through them later. One that did pop out to him though was that the Spy was level forty-one in Administration, which could definitely come in handy. With the page more manageable now, he carefully read through the prompts three times. Ran’dolphinius must have known that his status screen was now available as he had access to Richter’s as well, but he just remained still. Waiting.

  The first thing that bothered Richter and that he felt needed to be addressed was that the guy was literally “Evil”! He felt a bit better when he saw that the negative alignment was due to a Quality Randy had acquired. Then again, that Quality was “ruthless.” Nope, Richter corrected himself. “Ruthless two!” When he asked the Spy how he felt about the alignment, the response was simple.

  The concept of good and evil had come to Richter’s mind many times since being in The Land. He had met slavers, thieves, and murderers. On Earth, he would have had no problem labeling them as evil.

  Richter wasn’t one to shy away from harsh truths, however. His use of the spell Charm made others into slaves of a sort. He had stolen, and in just six months, he had already killed hundreds, perhaps thousands of people. Many with the blade and in battle, but when the situation had called for it, he had also killed in cold blood.

  His closest allies, the sprites, were also almost uniformly positive alignment, or what was now being called “good.” He knew for a fact though, that the sprites had no prob
lem killing as well. Sprites had a standing shoot-to-kill order for any other species they found in their territory. Their reasoning was that they were protecting the forest. It might have been true, but the sprites were also just classically xenophobic. Did that make them evil? Richter knew in his heart that it didn’t, but he also wouldn’t say they were exactly good, either. Since coming to The Land his definitions of good and evil had become decidedly more… accommodating.

  “My actions have earned me my Qualities and my alignment. I cannot say that it is not a fair assessment. I only ask that you judge me based on my entire status screen as well as my actions.”

  That was a fair request, Richter decided. The whole topic of good vs evil had bothered him since coming to The Land. His best friend had a good alignment several times over, but he’d still let Richter be eaten alive while he’d just watched. The sprites actually had a long history of xenophobic killings. There was definitely an argument to be made that such actions could be “evil,” though the other argument could also be made that in a world of goblins and monsters it was for the common “good” that a people protect their borders. Richter personally believed in the benefits of a diverse society, but that was him.

  At the end of the day, he realized that he still wasn’t sure exactly what good or evil meant. The best definition he’d come up with dealt with intent and consideration. If you took the needs of others into account when you took an action, then you were good. If you only thought about yourself, then you were evil. Of course, the holes in that logic were big enough for a hippo in a hummer to drive through, but it was better than nothing. The main fear that Richter had was that the terms might not be just descriptive. What if someone with an evil alignment had to do horrible and selfish acts because the mechanics of The Land itself forced them to do so?